Benjamin Bryant (broadcaster)

Benjamin Bryant (born 1977) is an American writer, broadcaster, and filmmaker. He also works, on occasion, as an artist and actor.

Benjamin Bryant
Bryant at the 45th Daytime Emmy Nominee Reception
Born (1977-01-13) January 13, 1977
Nuremberg, West Germany
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of the Incarnate Word (MS)

University of the Incarnate Word (MA)

Excelsior College (BS)

University of Texas at Austin

Giessen American High School
OccupationWriter
Broadcaster
Television Producer
Civil Servant (past)
Years active1996–present
OrganizationUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliary
Known forFort Hood Shooting Task Force

Don't Ask, Don't Tell DoD Working Group

Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission
Notable work
"The Brink with Benjamin Bryant: INTERSECTIONS" (event podcast)
TelevisionJourneys Beyond(2019–present)
The Brink with Benjamin Bryant (2018–present)
Anacostia (2016-present)
America Tonight (guest, 2012–2013)
Parents
  • Albert Bryant, Jr. (father)
  • Renee Bryant (mother)
RelativesLori Bryant-Woolridge
AwardsTelly Award
Hermes Creative Award
AVA Digital Awards
MarCom Award
Silver Inkwell Award
Davey Award
Communicator Award
Paul R. Ellis Award

Bryant formerly served as a public official in the Obama Administration and on various Government projects. He is the former co-executive producer of the Daytime Emmy-winning drama series Anacostia (where he occasionally appeared in front of the camera), and current host of the interview program and podcast “The Brink with Benjamin Bryant” and co-host upcoming travel docuseries "Journeys Beyond." He has produced several television and streaming series, specials, and a series of holiday films.

Bryant served in senior staff positions on multiple high profile task forces and commissions during the Barack Obama administration, including the Pentagon’s Fort Hood Shooting Task Force, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Working Group, and the two-year Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, for which he was the commission’s final spokesperson. In 2011, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin announced the formal acquisition of several of Bryant's papers, notes, and recordings related to his historic work for the White House and Department of Defense.

In addition to his work as a journalist and broadcaster, Bryant has appeared as a guest and interview subject in the media throughout his career, including multiple appearances on the nightly news program America Tonight.

Early life and education

Bryant was born in Nuremberg, Germany to American parents in a multi-generational military family. His father, Brigadier General Albert Bryant Jr, is known for his role in the immediate military response to 9/11, service as Assistant Division Commander of the 4th Infantry Division during the Iraq War, and was the highest-ranking American service-member at the time of his service as part of NATO’s Kosovo Force. He is the grandson of Brigadier General Albert Bryant, Sr., recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and a former Montford Point Marine[1] and Army Brigadier General Richard Saxton. He is also the nephew of Emmy-winning writer and speaker Lori Bryant-Woolridge.

Bryant graduated from Giessen American High School in Giessen, Germany in 1994, commencing study at the University of Texas at Austin, that same year.[2][3] At Texas, he studied journalism and communication studies from 1994-1998, when an extended illness led to medical withdrawal prior to graduation. When professional demands later prevented a full-time return to Texas, Bryant completed a Bachelor of Science degree from New York’s Excelsior College.[4]

In 2015, Bryant earned two Master’s degrees, a Master of Arts in Administration and a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership, from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.[5]

Journalism and broadcasting

In 1996, Bryant was serving as a radio news intern at Austin radio station KKMJ when the Atlanta Olympic Bombing occurred.[6] His impromptu overnight coverage gathered attention from the public and Austin American-Statesman columnist Jane Grieg, leading to a full-time role consisting of on-air roles at KKMJ and named Program Director, with news and local programming responsibility, of its sister station, ABC Radio affiliate KJCE.[7][8] Bryant also hosted KJCE’s weekly Sunday morning current affairs program.

After leaving Austin and the radio industry, Bryant worked as a freelance journalist[9] and columnist before focusing on public relations and crisis communications consulting for public and private sector clients, though in those capacities, he served as writer and editor of multiple public-facing government publications, including the Deepwater News and FHP&R: Force Health Protection & Readiness magazine.[10] He returned to broadcasting as the host of the “BZCast” podcast in 2017, including an award-winning exploration of leaking and whistleblowing in the federal government,[11] and in a more significant way in 2018 with the launch of non-profit media platform BZ/MP and the debut of “The Brink with Benjamin Bryant,” a series of one-on-one interview specials focusing on Washington D.C. notables, and its spin-off serialized investigative podcast, “The Brink with Benjamin Bryant: INTERSECTIONS,”[12] both of which have since received a number of awards and honors, including several for Bryant as producer and host. In 2018, Bryant also appeared in an award-winning, non-partisan public service announcement entitled "The One Place Everyone is Equal."[13]

Military and government

Bryant has served in a variety of communications roles for the military services, including as a speechwriter for Rear Admiral Patrick Stillman of the United States Coast Guard, and communications advisor for the Hon. James Finley and then as a speechwriter and communications advisor for several senior military leaders, and has worked on multiple high-profile roles on Presidential task forces and commissions, including the Pentagon’s Fort Hood Shooting Task Force, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Working Group, and the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, for which he served as the agency’s final spokesperson. On multiple occasions, Bryant appeared as a guest on the nightly news program America Tonight, hosted by journalist Joie Chen, speaking to military issues in the news,.[14][15][16]

Bryant's work as a government consultant and contracted advisor also includes substantial efforts in the public health arena. Bryant worked as a communications advisor to the DoD Force Health Protection and Readiness agency, serving as speechwriter to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Ellen Embrey, and supervising a redesign and relaunch of the agency's globally-distributed FHP&R: Force Health Protection full-color print magazine. In 2011, Bryant led a team of Bryant Zamberlan Group researchers, analysts, and writers (including former acting Surgeon General of the United States Army Major General Gail Pollock) conducting a federally-funded assessment of community preparedness and the effectiveness of public health outreach and education regarding pandemic influenza health risks in the Virginia Beach area. Bryant also authored the team's final report.

Task Forces and Commissions
Year Name Leadership Role Notes
2009-2010 Department of Defense
Fort Hood Shooting Task Force		 Hon. Togo D. West, Jr.,
Adm. Vern Clark		 Managing Editor,
Writing and Admin Team Lead
2010 US Air Force Fort Hood Task Force Follow-on Sec. Michael B. Donley Senior Writer,
Writing Team Lead
2010 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Comprehensive Review Working Group Hon. Jeh Johnson,

Gen. Carter Ham

 Lead Editor,
Editorial and Production Lead
2011 Virginia Department of Health/VA Beach
Pandemic Influenza Program Assessment		 Benjamin Bryant Executive Director,
Report Author
2013-2016 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Hon. Al Maldon Assoc. Director, Public Relations and Outreach (2015-2016),
Lead Writer and Editor and
Editorial and Production Lead (2013-2015)

In 2011, news reports covered Bryant and Thomas Zamberlan's donation of their original editor's copies from several Presidential and DoD task forces to the Smithsonian Institution.[17] That same year, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at Bryant's alma mater University of Texas at Austin, announced the acquisition of Bryant's personal notes, papers, and recorded recollections related to his work on the historic Fort Hood investigation and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeals and their intention to make them available to researchers.[18]

Since 2010, Bryant has been an Auxiliarist in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, including service as a Flotilla Staff Officer.[2]

Arts

In addition to his news and documentary work, Bryant has done substantial work in the arts, including film, television, and visual arts.

Film, Television and Radio
Benjamin Bryant with actress Marion Akpan on the set of Anacostia in 2017

Bryant began producing narrative television and film projects in 2016, first joining the Daytime Emmy-winning, six-time nominated, digital series Anacostia, from creator Anthony Anderson at the start of its fifth season, as a supervising producer.[19][20] Beginning with episode five, Bryant was named co-executive producer of the series, a role he continued in until September 2019.[20][21] He also occasionally recurred on the series in the role of news anchor "James Vance," an homage to the late Washington D.C. news anchor Jim Vance.[20]

In 2019, his company, the Bryant Zamberlan Group, partnered with Gemelli Films and writer-director Candice Cain to produce the "Candy Cain" series of holiday films,[22] completing work on the holiday romances Ivy & Mistletoe, starring Cody Calafiore, Carrie Genzel, and Cynthia Gibb; Destination: Christmas, starring Calafiore, Clayton Snyder, and Abigail Hawk; and Painting Christmas, starring Calafiore, Genzel, Patrick Muldoon, Frank Whaley, Terri Garber, and Jennifer Bassey,[20] with the Global Genesis Group handling distribution.[23] Bryant, who served as the supervising producer on the films, also makes a cameo appearance in each one.[20] Bryant also served as an Associate Producer on Cain's Joy & Hope a western-themed romance co-starring Vivica A. Fox.

In September 2019, Bryant and travel writer Olivia Taylor announced on their respective social media platforms that they would co-host an upcoming travel show for the 2019-2020 season, titled "Journey's Beyond."[24][25][26]

In early 2020, production in Las Vegas, Nevada was paused on Bryant's sports mockumentary Aidy Kane due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Courage Under Fire Soldier (uncredited) [20]
2019 Ivy & Mistletoe Supervising Producer, Air Traveler (cameo) [20]
2019 Destination: Christmas Supervising Producer, Airline Employee (cameo) [20]
2019 Painting Christmas Supervising Producer, Waterbury Coach (cameo) [20]
2020 Aidy Kane Director, “Phineas Strong” [27]

Television and Digital Streaming
Year Title Role Notes
2016-2019 Anacostia co-Executive Producer, “James Vance” [20][21]
2018-2019 The Brink with Benjamin Bryant Executive Producer, Host [28]
2018 Unraveling Knots: The Journey Begins Executive Producer, Host [29]
2018 BZ Explains! Welcome to the Show The Narrator (character) [30]
2019 Journeys Beyond Executive Producer, co-Host [24][25]

On June 14, 2020 the producers of the upcoming JLJ Media audio drama Forever and a Day announced Bryant's casting as businessman "Gregory Marshall" in the podcast serial.

Painting and photography

In the 2010s, Bryant has also worked intermittently as professional artist, photographer, and painter, signing his work as "Ben Bryant.'' His pieces featured and sold through the Saatchi Gallery.[31] In 2018, a whimsical portrait Bryant painted in hours, was featured on the sixth season premiere of "Anacostia" (in a roadside shrine honoring a child lost to gun violence).[32] Shortly after, it became the first of his paintings to sell for more than $1,000.[33] He is also an artistic, commercial, and editorial photographer. The posters for the films Destination: Christmas and Painting Christmas, which Bryant produced, feature his photography.

Business

Since 2010, Bryant has served as the Managing Partner of the Bryant Zamberlan Group of companies, which include a global communications consultancy and BZ/MP, a non-profit news and media endeavor. In this role, Bryant holds multiple certifications, and has advised and trained senior leaders in the United States Government and international business.[2]

Awards, Honors, and Nominations

Bryant has received numerous industry honors and nominations for his work as a journalist, broadcaster, and producer, beginning with two Paul R. Ellis awards from the American Heart Association of Texas in 1996 for writing and producing content to educate the Austin, TX community regarding increased heart disease and stroke risks in minority communities at radio station KJCE.

Since 1999, he has been honored with Communicator, MarCom, Hermes Creative, W3, Davey, AVA, and Silver Inkwell awards for various writing, multimedia, video, and other projects.[2][34][35][36][37]

As co-executive producer of the six-time Emmy nominated Anacostia, Bryant received a 2018 Indie Series Award nomination, Hermes Creative Award, Telly Award, and two consecutive Best Drama Series honors at the Rome Web Awards.

Other notable honors include a 2010 Platinum MarCom "Special Category" Award for his work as the Managing Editor of the report of the Fort Hood Task Force, 2012 Davey Award for his appearances on America Tonight, 2019 Communicator Award of Distinction for "The Brink with Benjamin Bryant" interview specials; and multiple Platinum AVA and Hermes Creative Awards for "The Brink with Benjamin Bryant: INTERSECTIONS" podcast (including honors for writing, hosting, and production).[2][35][36][37][34]

In a year-end feature dedicated to the people and stories who made the year notable, Bryant was named by the Austin American-Statesman as one of its most memorable people in 1996.[38]

Personal life

Bryant currently lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.[2]

References
  1. Shapiro, Ian. "He saw the flag raised at Iwo Jima. Now, at 94, he watches the nation fight a deadly virus". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  2. "Benjamin Bryant". LinkedIn. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. "Leadership". thebzgroup.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  4. "Alumni US | Excelsior College, Albany, New York Area". alumnius.net. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  5. "Alumni US | University of the Incarnate Word (2015)". alumnius.net. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  6. Grieg, Jane (August 1996). "Who was that voice?". Austin American-Statesman.
  7. "Americans on the Rise" (PDF). ARS Newsletter. July 1996.
  8. Herndon, John (October 1996). "The JUICE changes its on-air fare". Austin American-Statesman.
  9. "Montgomery Gazette Coverage of Maryland Regional AIDS Conference". Scribd. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  10. "Force Health Protection & Readiness Magazine - Fall 2007". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  11. "The BZ Cast – Leaking or Whistleblowing?". thebzgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  12. "THE BRINK Returns with "Intersections" in 2019 - BZ/MP Radio". BZ/MP. 2018-12-13. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  13. BZ/MP - The Bryant Zamberlan Media Project (2019-01-23), The One Place Everyone is Equal: The Ballot Box, retrieved 2019-05-23
  14. America Tonight : ALJAZAM : September 17, 2013 4:00am-5:01am EDT, ALJAZAM, 2013-09-17, retrieved 2019-05-23CS1 maint: others (link)
  15. America Tonight : ALJAZAM : April 3, 2014 12:00am-1:01am EDT, ALJAZAM, 2014-04-03, retrieved 2019-05-23CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. America Tonight : ALJAZAM : April 4, 2014 4:00am-5:01am EDT, ALJAZAM, 2014-04-04, retrieved 2019-05-23CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. KASZUBSKI, DEBRA. "Work of Sterling Heights native added to Smithsonian". Macomb Daily. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  18. "A Guide to the Benjamin Bryant Papers, 2010". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  19. Bryant, Benjamin. "ANACOSTIA's Anthony Anderson tackles male/male rape (and gentrification!) in season five, and feels the responsibilities of African American storytelling". Benjamin Bryant. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  20. "Benjamin Bryant". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  21. "Amazon.com: Watch Anacostia | Prime Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  22. Newcomb, Roger. "'Candy Cain' Holiday Trio of Films Features Former Soap Stars Patrick Muldoon, Carrie Genzel, Terri Garber, Jennifer Bassey, Cynthia Gibb". Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  23. "'Candy Cain' Holiday Trio of Films". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  24. "I'm hosting a new travel show". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  25. Bryant, Benjamin. "A little tease for you". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  26. "Benjamin Bryant on Instagram: "All I can share for now, but watch this space for details on my newest adventure!"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  27. Aidy Kane, retrieved 2019-09-11
  28. "WATCH NOW: The Brink's BZ/MP D.C. interviews come to life!". BZ/MP. 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  29. "WATCH NOW: Unraveling Knots: The Journey Begins - BZ/MP TV". BZ/MP. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  30. "WATCH NOW: Welcome to the Show: TV's First Impressions - BZ/MP TV". BZ/MP. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  31. "Benjamin Bryant". Saatchi Art. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  32. ANACOSTIASERIES (2018-12-30), ANACOSTIA Season 6 Episode 1 "Aftermath", retrieved 2019-05-25
  33. "Taty (featured on the Emmy-winning series "Anacostia") Painting". Saatchi Art. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  34. "AVA Digital Awards". enter.avaawards.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  35. "Communicator Awards | Award of Excellence Winners Gallery". Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  36. "Davey Awards | Winners". Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  37. "Hermes Creative Awards". enter.hermesawards.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  38. Grieg, Jane (January 2, 1997). "Looking Back at the People Who Made 1996 Memorable: 'Familiar Voice'". Austin American-Statesman.
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